Final Stages

Well here are 6 months later and the Planning Phase is finally coming to an end, I'll need a holiday after this to get over it. The intinery has been written, the Hotels booked by Mr Thomas Cook for the main Stop Locations and with Go-Kiwi for our whistle, stop, back up a bit, thats it turn left into the car park lodgings around the South and North islands.

So we have spreadsheets for where we will be each day, we have maps for where we will be travelling each day, we have maps to show us where the hotels are in three different Continents and we have lists enough to fill a suitcase.!!!! So what could go wrong.!!!!

Money has exchanged hands to secure us foriegn currency which funnily enough is all in Dollars, Dollars for Singapore, New Zealand & of course the good ole USA. Where do we keep all this cash we say, in handbags - I don't have one?? in suitcases, may get lost, no its secret money belts hidden under our billowing clothing around towns or under our speedo's on the beach, the bulges will be unbelieveable. I did suggest they could be turned into support bra's to make 'em pert again, but that didn't go down too well.

So with 7 days to go, all the shopping for clothes, medical supplies, and fancy knick knacks has been done and dusted all of which have settled nicely into little assembled groups on the bed in the back room. A spring weight used keenly by fishermen who eyes are usually bigger than their catch was purchased so that we could meet the weight criteria set down by each Airline..20Kgs to go here or 32 Kgs if you are going there but no bigger than 115cm in HxWxD dimensions if going on board. So brows will be furrowed and teeth will be gnashed if things go wrong at the booking in desk..the anticipation how can one wait so long.

The week end will see dummy runs on suitcase loading and unloading taking place, I will hold the stop watch and weighing scales while 'her in doors' rolls the t-shirts and knickers into bundles dividing them out 50/50 per suitcase; must be the pessimists in us to share out the items 'in case one gets lost' scenario. That reminds me must check the list to see if I have travel Insurance on it and the boxed 'ticked'. Where would we be with out our lists?

Arthur is pursuing the travel documents from Mr Thomas Cook in Cardiff and will be calling in there on Staurday to go through it all. A double check on all aspects of the trip to make sure we have flights arranged and seats booked for all destinations. Its then up to us to be in the right place at the right time, must remember the time differences especially New Zealand to USA as we arrive in the USA before we have left New Zealand, and they said you couldn't travel back in time.!!

So 1st November will be it - either all the planning works or it doesn't, time will tell. If we have time we may add some stuff to the blog on the way round, however, no promises as we are out to enjoy ourself's and not be 'blogged' down with e-mails etc.

Wish us luck..